In a quest to conserve, I’ve been trying to eliminate energy loss from so-called “vampire appliances”—electrical devices that are always “on,” even when you are not using them and they seem “off.” As long as they are plugged into an outlet, electric “vampires” draw a small but constant stream of energy. I’ve plugged some of my vampires into power strips so I can flip a switch and turn them truly off when they are not in use. But the power plugs to some electrical gizmos—like my microwave oven—are inaccessible. These vampires continue to glow softly, day and night, silently sucking energy from the grid and adding to my utility bill. Now that I’ve done what I can about electrical vampires, I’ve started thinking about other kinds of vampires that suck energy from my body and spirit. Pain is a major energy drain. I used to experience pain on most days; headaches, back pain, nerve pain in my neck, shoulder, and hand. I actually got used to being in pain. I adapted to it and I could function. But I was always tired, often cranky, and I got sick a lot. That’s one vampire I really do not miss.Allergies can be vampires too. Mine were never life-threatening, but they caused sinus headaches that made we want to pull my head off and throw it away. Tracking down my allergies and significantly reducing my exposure has restored a lot of otherwise wasted energy.Caffeine, sugar, and alcohol are all vampires. I’ll never give them up entirely, but I’ve put them on metaphorical power strips—that is, I try not to consume them mindlessly. I make a conscious (if irrational) choice to let them suck a little of my resources, rather than leave them constantly plugged in, draining me daily. Last, but definitely not least, toxic relationships are the most powerful vampires of all. I’m not saying it is easy, but you can end a relationship with a toxic boss or co-worker by changing jobs. And you might find you are just too busy to see “friends” who make you feel like shit. Toxic family members, on the other hand, are often a different story. Unplugging from a toxic parent, sibling, in-law, or other family member may simply not be possible. You can get a small amount of protection by remembering that some relationships just plain suck. It’s not your fault, they’re vampires.